Machine for folding shearling strips



Jan. 10, 1956 L. s. BROWN 2,729,964

MACHINE FOR FOLDING SHEARLING STRIPS Filed May 28, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet lIzweaaibfl:

Jan. 10, 1956 s. BROWN 2,729,964

MACHINE FOR FOLDING SHEARLING STRIPS Filed May 28, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 2QM. Mm

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MACHINE FOR FOLDING SHEARLING STRIPS Filed May 28, 1954 4 SheetsSheet 4see I ,IFIIFIII, 48 64 of Fig. 2;

United States Patent 2,729,964 MACHINE FOR FOLDING SHEARLING STRIPSLeslie S. Brown, Newton, Mass. Application May 28, 1954, Serial No.433,636 6 Claims. (Cl. 69-7.5)

This invention relates to automatic strip folding or creasing machines,the machine here described being particularly suitable for creasing theedges of material or synthetic shearling strips of the type described inthe inventors Patent No. 2,597,285.

As stated in the aforesaid patent, strips of genuine shearling skin, orfabric backing having an attached pile to simulate fur, are used inconsiderable quantity for making fur edgings or cuffs around the tops ofstorm boots to keep out snow, as well as for other ornamental purposes.Backing, as used here, may refer either to the hide of a fur or fleecebearing animal, or to a fabric sheet, and pile denotes either the fur orfleece of natural fur or shearling, or the fibers which are bonded to afabric backing to make an imitation fur or fleece material. The pile ofthese natural and synthetic materials normally stands more or lessupright on the backing so that when a strip is first cut, the raw edgesof the backing are exposed. According to the improvement described inthe aforesaid patent, a strip which is intended for a boot cult iscreased along the lower edge, which is ordinarily not stitched to theboot, causing the pile to fan out over the edge and be flat against theboot, thus hiding the edge and also increasing the apparent width of thestrip. The upper edge of the strip, which is seamed to the boot, neednot be curled in this manner. The creasing or curling operation may beperformed by running a heated tool along a line on the backer close tothe edge, thus shrinking the fibers of the backer in that region.

The general object of this invention is to provide a machine forautomatically creasing the edge of a shearling strip for the purposedescribed above. Other objects are to, provide means for creasingcontinuous lengths of stripping rapidly and uniformly, without crushingor matting the pile, to provide for readily controlling the temperatureof the heated tool which performs the creasing operation so as toproduce satisfactory results on various types of backings and on stripsvarying in thickness, and to provide means for cutting the strippingaccurately into predetermined lengths as it emerges from the machine.

In the drawings illustrating the invention:

Fig. l is a plan view of a machine constructed according to theinvention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the machine;

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the machine;

Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the output end of the machine or the leftend in Fig. 1

Fig. 5 is a cross-section along line 55 of Fig. 2;

.Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail cross-section along line'6-6 Fig. 7 is anenlarged cross-section of a strip prior to creasing;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged crosss-ection of a strip in the process of beingcreased; and

Fig. 9 is a detail of one of the creasing devices.

The various working parts of the machine are mounted on a suitableframe, shown here as a table 20, supported by four legs 21, 22, 23 and24. The main drive motor 25 is mounted below the table on a beam 26supported by legs 21 and 22, and is connected by a belt 27 to aconventional speed reducing gear box 28. On the output end of the gearbox 28 is a sprocket 29, Which drives various parts of the machine bymeans of a chain 34) and sprockets 31, 32 and 33. Sprocket 33 drives ashaft 34 which is mounted in bearings 35 and 36. A pulley 37 is mountedon shaft 34. A second shaft 38 is mounted directly below shaft 34 onbearings 39 and 40 and carries an idler pulley 41. Sprocket 32 drives ashaft 42, mounted in bearings 43 and 44, which carries a pulley 45 (Fig.2). Still another shaft 46 is mounted directly above shaft 42 onbearings 47 and 48, and carries a pulley 49. A belt 50 passes aroundpulleys 37 and 49 and is driven by pulley 37 in the direction indicatedby the arrow 51 in Fig. 2. Another belt 52 passes around pulleys 41 and45 and is driven by pulley 45 in the direction shown by arrow 54. Thetwo belts grip the shearling strip 55 between them and advance the stripthrough the machine in the direction indicated by the arrow 56.

The strip is fed to the machine along table 20, entering first betweentwo angle brackets 58 and 59 which serve as guides to align the stripapproximately along the center of the table. The strip travels along thetable to a centering device which is shown in detail in Fig. 6. A rod 60having oppositely threaded portions 61 and 62 is mounted across aU-shaped bracket 63 which is mounted on the table alongside of pulleys45 and 49. The rods carry two threaded blocks 64 and 65 to which areattached telescoping members 66 and 67, respectively, which form arectangular opening for the strip. By turning rod 60, the members 66 and67 can be moved toward, or away from, each other, leg 68 sliding overleg 69 to vary the width of the opening. The guide is aligned with thebelts 5t) and 52, so that a strip 55, running through the rectangularopening is centered with the belts when it arrives at pulleys 45 and 49.The guide is adjusted to the width of the shearling strip which is beingfed to the machine.

When the strip enters between pulleys 45 and 49, it is gripped by belts5t) and 52 and passes along between pulleys 37 and 41. Mounted in thespace between pulleys 41 and 45 is an idler roll 70 which is in contactwith belt 52. A bracket 71 supports a loop of wire 72 which iselectrically heated by current supplied through a cable 73. As shownmost clearly in Figs. 3, 5 and 9, the bottom of loop 72 lies flat for acertain distance along the line of travel of strip 55 in the regionabout idler 70, to one side of the belt 50, and terminates in anupwardly curved free end 74. A leaf spring 75, suitably mounted on table20, carries a block 76 (Fig. 9) of insulating material which pressesdown on the bottom part of loop 72. Pressure is thus applied to pressthe heated loop 72 down on to strip 55. As shown in Fig. 9, belt 52extends under the full width of strip 55, whereas belt 50 covers onlypart of the strip, and idler roll 70 is wide enough to underlie theentire width of belt 52, so that the strip is firmly held against thepressure of wire 72. As the result of the heat and pressure, strip 55',which originally appears in cross-section, as in. Fig. 7, becomes curledalong one edge, as in Fig. 8, due to the shrinkage of the backer 77along the line of wire 72, and the pile 78 fans out around the curlededge so as to' produce the desired masking effect.

The temperature of wire loop 72 is controlled by varying the current.This is accomplished by means of an adjustable rheostat 79, controlledby a dial 80 which is connected in series with the cable 73. An airnozzle 81 is mounted on table 20 and directed toward the connection ofthe heated wire to cable 73. The nozzle is supplied with compressed air,from any convenient source, through an air hose 82 and valve 83. Air maybe blown through the nozzle both to cool the connection and to cool thestrip rapidly as it leaves the wire, to keep the trip s r ght in e l nudinal d c ion.- A uard pla e 99 is mounted alongside the wire so as toengage the edge of the strip and keep the pile from springing up intocontact with the hot wire.

Mounted above, and in contact with, belt 50, is another roller 85. Thisroller carries a pin 86 which, upon each revolution, strikes theoperating arm of a conventional revolution counter 87 suitably mountedalongside the roller. The circumference of the wheel is made tocorrespond to a specified amount of travel of the shearling, forexample, one foot, so that the numbers on the counter indicate thefootage'which has been processed.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 4, the shearling strip 55, on

emerging from pulleys 37 and 41, travels downward through a cut-out 89in table 20 between two guide plates 94) and 91. A motor 92 is mountedwith its shaft vertical below table 20, and drives a rotary knife 93.The blade is surrounded toward the outside of the machine by a guard 94,The inner part of the blade lies just to one side of the normal line oftravel of strip 55 after the strip passes between plates 90 and 91. Asolenoid type of relay 95, having a plunger 96, is mounted under thetable. A fork 97 is mounted on the end of plunger 96. When the solenoidis energized, the plunger travels to the left (as viewed inFig. 2) andthe fork forces strip 55 against the knife blade 93 which cuts olf thestrip. The solenoid may be energized by pressing a manual switch 98,mounted on the table 20 and suitably connected in the solenoid coilcurrent, in which case an operator watches the counter and presses thebutton, when the desired footage is indicated. It is understood that theprocessed strip may drop into a bin, or a suitable receptacle of somesort, or may be passed to another machine and wound into rolls.

The quick control of the searing effect which can be achieved, becauseof the fact that both the speed of the strip and the temperature of thewire can be varied, makes it possible to produce uniform results onstrips of nonuniform character, such as those made from natural peltsjoined together. The operator can observe the searing action through theopening between plate 99 and belt 50, and make immediate adjustments forvarying conditions.

What is claimed is:

l. A machine for creasing shearling strips or the like, which have apile mounted on a backer, comprising: a supporting frame; a first pairof pulleys mounted on said frame; a first belt running on said pulleys;a second pair of pulleys mounted on said frame; a second belt running onsaid second pair of pulleys, said belts running parallel, and adjacentto,'each other along part of their travel and being disposed there togrip between them the strip to be creased; means for driving said beltsso as to advance the strip thus gripped along a predetermined path; acreasing tool mounted adjacent said path between said first pair ofpulleys and disposed to bear on the backer of said strip; an idler rollmounted between said second pair of pulleys and disposed to support thepile side of the strip adjacent said tool; and means for heating andmaintaining said tool at a temperature suitable for shrinking theportion of the backer which comes in contact with the tool.

2. A machine as described in claim 1, having a guiding device whichaligns the strip in such a manner with said first belt as to leave oneedge of the backer exposed, said tool being mounted to one side of thefirst belt so as to make direct contact with said exposed edge.

3. A machine as described in claim 1, said tool comprising anelectrically heated wire having a straight port on di posed P allel tthe line of travel of the. st ip, and the machine being further providedwith a nozzle directed toward said strip in the region of the straightportion, and means for blowing compressed air through said nozzle tocool said strip in said region.

4. A machine for creasing shearling strips or the'like, which have apile mounted on a backer, comprising: a supporting frame; a first pairof pulleys mounted on said frame; a first belt running on said pulleys;a second pair of pulleys mounted above the first pair; an upper beltrunning on said second pair of pulleys, having a portion parallel to anddirectly overlying a portion of said lower belt; said belt portionsbeing adapted to grip the strip to be creased; means for driving onebelt clockwise and the other counter-clockwise, whereby the'strip isadvanced between the parallel portions of the belt; means for feeding astrip, pile side downward, to said belts and aligning the strip withrespect to the upper belt so as to leave one margin of the hackerexposed; a wire having a straight portion disposed parallel to andadjacent said upper belt so as to make contact with said exposed margin;a leaf spring mounted adjacent said wire, having a free end bearing onsaid wire and pressing the same downward; an idler roll mounted undersaid lower belt in the region of said wire and arranged to support saidstrip against the pressure of said spring; and means for heating saidwire and maintaining it at a temperature suitable for shrinking theportion of the backer in contact therewith.

5. A machine for creasing shearling strips or the like which have a pilemounted on a hacker, comprising: a belt adapted to support the fullwidth of a strip to be creased; a creasing tool mounted adjacent to thebelt and adapted to engage the backer of a strip disposed thereon; meansfor heating and maintaining said tool at a temperature suitable forshrinking the portion of the backer which comes in contact with thetool; means for driving said belt; and means for gripping a strip andcausing it to move with the belt in the region of the creasing tool soas to cause a margin of the strip to pass between the tool and the belt.I

6. A machine for creasing shearling strips or the like, which have apile mounted on a. backer, comprising: a supporting frame; a first pairof pulleys mounted on said frame; a first belt running on said pulleys;a second pair of pulleys mounted on said frame; a second belt running onsaid second pair of pulleys, said belts running parallel, and adjacentto, each other along part of their travel and being disposed there togrip between them the strip to be creased; means for driving said beltsso as to advance the strip thus gripped along a predetermined path; acreasing tool mounted adjacent said path between said first pair ofpulleys and disposed to bear on the backer of said strip; means forsupporting the second belt between said second set of pulleys; and meansfor heating and maintain.- ing said tool at a temperature suitable forshrinking the portion of the backer which comes in contact with thetool. 7

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,464,504 Fossa Aug. 14, 1923 1,886,870 Coffey Nov. 8, 1932 2,017,055Douletto et al. Oct. 15, 1935 2,103,235 Winnett Dec. 28, 1,937 2,526,691Roske Oct. 24, 1950 2,571,792 Tosi et al Oct. 16,

